Dating Is Not a Marketplace: A Reflection on Objectification and Human Connection.
In the world of dating, we often hear phrases like “what do you bring to the table?” or “I have a type.” While preferences are natural and boundaries are necessary, there is a fine line between knowing what you’re looking for and reducing someone to a list of attributes. That line is called objectification, and it’s more common in modern dating than we’d like to admit.
Objectification happens when we stop seeing people as whole human beings and start seeing them as things, bodies, status symbols, caretakers, emotional fixers, trophies, or placeholders for unmet needs. It happens when someone becomes less of a person and more of a means to an end: sex, validation, security, or even revenge on an ex.
But real connection doesn’t live in that space.
It doesn’t grow in the shadows of control, fantasy, or projection.
And it certainly doesn’t survive where respect is absent.
When we approach dating with objectification (consciously or not) we rob ourselves of the chance to experience someone in their full humanity. We miss the opportunity to learn, to be challenged, to be deeply seen and truly loved. Because love, in its truest form, isn’t about how someone looks, what they do for us, or how well they “fit” our ideal. It’s about who they are when no one is watching and how we feel when we’re around them.
To date with depth is to stay curious about the person in front of you.
To ask, “What makes your soul light up?” instead of “What can you offer me?”
To listen without an agenda.
To let someone be, instead of molding them into what you want.
We all want to be chosen for who we are - not what we represent. So why not lead with that energy?
Because in the end, the most meaningful relationships are never built on objectification.
They’re built on recognition of each other’s humanity, vulnerability, and worth.
Let’s date like everyone we meet is a full person because they are.
titsay
turnnoffyourmind
germansingergirl
theartofmadeline
dailybridgerton
